Fabrays in Lima
by bloemhoffan3000
Summary: The Fabray-triplets are causing quite a stir. Join the brothers Sam and Quintin, and their sister Brittany as they face life and love in Lima, Ohio. Pairings are Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes. Possible Klaine in later chapters.
1. A Puckerman Party Welcome

Chapter 1: A Puckerman Party Welcome

The Fabray triplets were a sight to behold: all blonde-haired and tall and exceedingly beautiful. This might be a strange way to refer to the two brothers and a sister, but it was true nonetheless. Their arrival earlier that summer had the teenage population of Lima, Ohio in an uproar. Besotted boys and girls were fervently hoping they'd be attending William McKinley High once school starts; that way they could drool over these godsends all the time. The weeks before then were filled with swoons all around, and why not? They were definitely worth it:

Lucas Quintin Fabray was the eldest and undeniable leader of the trio. He had hazel-green eyes and pale skin, with a delicate nose and plump lips. Quintin was leanly muscled as a resulted of spending most of his time on the track, specialising in middle-distance running. He divided his time between that and the basketball court.

Samuel Evan Fabray was the tallest of the siblings, a footballer and an avid comic book collector. He had blue-gray eyes, and a rather large mouth that seemed to always be smiling. Sam was a goofball, and could usually be heard spouting movie-quotes at the drop of a hat.

Their youngest sibling was Brittany Sara Fabray, a blue-eyed dancing angel. She was their gentle heart, displaying a sweet innocence that was often mistaken for naivete. Quintin and Sam took their roles as Brittany's protectors very seriously, and was always looking out for her.

The Fabrays were a very close-knit family, and each sibling had taken the separation and subsequent divorce of their parents, Judy and Russell, very hard. The move to Lima was in essence a new start for them all. Maybe here Quintin will learn how to really be all of himself, the body and the brain. Maybe Sam will see more than his perfect abs in the mirror. Maybe Brittany will find more to love in the real world, and less to fear. And maybe one day, Judy will believe in trust again.

But not today. The teens had been invited to parties and hang-outs since moving in, but Judy had forced them to thoroughly unpack first before relenting. They chose Noah Puckerman's invitation simply because they could walk the few blocks, and were soon joined on the way by two new faces: Mike Chang, a tall gangly looking Asian boy, who had immediately recognised a fellow dancer in Britt; and his girlfriend Tina Cohen-Chang (no relation, they checked) a Goth looking Asian girl, with blue streaks in her hair. They chatted about movies (Sam and Tina shared a love of sci-fi) music (lots of disco-bashing all around) and glee-club. Apparently both Mike and Tina were part of the school show choir, and encouraged the triplets to consider joining. They were spared from having to answer when the door opened, to reveal the party in full swing.

It was blatantly clear that Puck's parties were the infamous kind, where making a drunken fool of oneself was almost mandatory. The brothers had rules for situations like this, separate from the ones their mother insisted on. The most important was to keep unwanted attention away from their far too trusting sister. Usually the two boys would sandwich the girl protectively, glaring at anyone brave enough to approach, until they gave up and left the trio alone. They would let her go only if she indicated real interest, and either Quintin or Sam would be watching to ensure her safety. They have had too many close calls to worry about being over-protective, and while this sometimes meant losing out on their own dates, making sure Brittany was taken care of was their first priority.

They had been introduced to a wildly sexy latina, called Santana Lopez, at the door. Puck had shoved beers (cold, and unopened) into their hands, and ushered them in with a wink in Britt's direction. Unfortunately for the mohawked boy, he wasn't the one who had caught Brittany's eye. They fell into their routine as the party progressed, waiting for the latina to make her move. Brittany hoped her girl would be brave, as she knew this was one of the few ways a potential special someone could actually impress her brothers. The girl finally proved Britt right.

"Yes?" Quintin growled, looking up from his copy of 'The Silmarilion' to take in the girl standing in front of his sister. The couch they were on wasn't that big, and he could get away with assuming her attention was on him. He smirked, absolutely loving this part of their little test. Guys either ended up stuttering, or stupidly trying to intimidate the two boys. Girls would start blushing in embarrassment, or flirt inappropriately. Any reaction deemed to be weak meant they lost their chance to get close to Brittany. She wasn't anyone to be ashamed of, and if they couldn't even face her brothers, they didn't deserve to face her.

The latina cocked her eyebrow at him, before turning to speak to Brittany directly. "Um, would you like to dance?" She pointed her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the other bodies enjoying the music. The girl was wearing a tight-fitting red shirt and a black leather skirt, and the movement emphasised her chest in a most satisfying way. Quintin nodded in approval of her stance. It was sexy and confident without being arrogant or demeaning. The hesitation in her question was obviously contrived, since she clearly wasn't shy, so all Sam had left to do was confirm his deductions.

The boy in question was staring at Santana in shock. Since Brittany had only recently begun exploring her bisexuality, he wasn't that used to anything so forward from girls interested in his sister. They were usually shy, and could barely get their words out above a whisper. He couldn't believe his sister's luck, finding an out-and-proud lesbian their age, looking like that, and at their first party too! "You wanna dance with her?" he asked, eyes wide. Quintin frowned at him, thinking he was taking their test a little too seriously. He shook his head at his brother. What was Sam doing?

"With the girl?" he continued, suspicious now. If this some kind of prank he might have to hit this girl. The famous Fabray eyebrow from Quintin had him rethinking this assumption though. Quinn was a pretty good judge of character, and the girl was still trying to get Britt to dance, so maybe she was for real. "But we're hot!" he teased, leaning over his sister to point between himself and his brother, winking flirtatiously at the latina. She narrowed her eyes at his antics, before smiling. Sam smiled back. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad in Lima after all. Maybe the Fabrays could actually be happy and accepted for once.

"Are you kidding me?" Santana teased him back. She couldn't resist the twinkling mischief in Sam's eyes. "Please! Hot? You two? This haircut makes him look like a girl, and you look like a wanna-Belieber. Plus, who brings a book to a house-party? Dorks, that's who," she sniffed dismissively. Returning her attention back to the now widely smiling girl, she winked. Brittany swooned; she knew she'd chosen well. "So, you wanna dance?" Brittany nodded eagerly, already out of her seat.

She was having a good time dancing with Santana, and pretty soon she spied Sam finding a dance partner too. Quintin just continued reading his book, occassionally looking around to check on his siblings. He didn't join the fray however, content to just read without interruptions. Alas, that was not meant to be, and he soon found himself deflecting horny propositions from boys wanting to hook up. They were soon dismissed; the fact that he was also a boy came in very handy. Except when it didn't: he had a minor incident involving a burly guy attempting to stroke his chest. Ugh. His rather loud affirmation of his masculinity then led to the same drunken invitations from girls, much to his displeasure.

After an eternity of head-shaking, it seemed there was finally a lull in activity, and he managed to relax, until: "Is that any good?"

Quintin looked at the girl seated next to him on the couch. She was wearing black skinny jeans and a shimmering green tank-top, smiling at him expectantly. He had noticed her earlier talking with the black girl who was still hanging out with Sam, and another boy whose name he couldn't remember. It was from a movie, he thought.

Opting to swallow his annoyance, he turned to answer the girl. "Um, yeah. It's pretty good." He waited for her to continue with her spiel now that she had his attention. Most of the teens who'd approached him so far had asked about what he was reading, and then followed that up with 'do you wanna dance/hook up/whatever'. He regarded the brunette warily when she didn't. This was a tactic he hadn't encountered yet so far tonight.

"What's it called?" She was completely oblivious to Quintin's apprehension. Wait, what? He was caught off-guard by the genuine interest in her tone. Who was this girl? He tried to remember her name, knowing they had been introduced earlier, but couldn't. There had been so many people in his face tonight, and now when he wanted to not blow someone off, he was at a loss.

"The Silmarillion, by JRR Tolkien. He's the guy that wrote the Lord of the Rings," he added shyly. He took a sly look at her again. She had arrived with a really tall guy, he knew. What had Santana called him, Frankenteen? He quickly scanned the room for the giant, and spotted him dancing between two giggling girls, visibly delighted by the close proximity of their hands to his crotch. Possibly-cheating on your possible-girlfriend? Nice. And in plain sight too. Ugh, what a jerk.

He turned away in disgust, catching the brunette grimacing in the direction of the spectacle. Quintin felt himself flushing in embarrassment for some reason, and opened his book in an attempt to cover his face. Figuring the conversation was over, and that the girl (Rachel! Her name was Rachel something-fruity) would want to admonish her possible-boyfriend over his disparaging behaviour, he read on. Quintin therefore was surprised when the girl continued speaking as if nothing was wrong.

"I've never read it. I tried once, when I was forced to spend some of my summer with my grandparents in Boston, but I couldn't grasp it. Although in all honesty, I lacked the willingness to try. Besides, it's a rather large tome, and patience is not my biggest virtue."

Quintin could only stare in awe. Rachel seemed to be waiting for him to comment, and when it became apparent that none would be forthcoming, she sighed softly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb your reading. I merely thought you would appreciate some company, but I will no longer impose myself on you. Enjoy your book" she finished, standing up from the couch and heading for the boy he thought might be named Kurt.

He saw them high-fiving, Maybe-Kurt with a smile and Rachel with a frown, and briefly wondered what that was about. Was this some kind of swingers-party? Did no one else care that Rachel's possible-boyfriend was possibly-cheating on her, right in front of her and her friends? Oh God, was Quintin supposed to be her new partner? Shrugging he turned his attention back to his reading, getting lost in the worlds of Tolkien like so many times before, missing the speculative look Kurt shot his way. He would have been very surprised to hear their conversation though.

"So, when's the wedding?" Kurt asked, offering Rachel a bottle of mineral water. The two of them had been covertly watching Quintin Fabray all night, waiting for him to accept an offer for a dance or a drink, or a hook-up. Apparently the boy simply wasn't interested in anything except his book. This had led to a discussion of the kind of book he was so engaged in, before Finn and his skanky fanclub's gyrations prompted Kurt to challenge his fellow diva to make a move on the cute bookworm.

"He barely spoke to me Kurt," Rachel said, taking a sip. She was regretting accepting his challenge, and wished her ex-boyfriend was been more discrete. That display was just so tacky. She had seen the disgusted look on Quintin's face, and had grimaced at the thought of him finding out Finn was her ex. "It was patently obvious that he would've prefered to be left alone, so what could I do?"

"Maybe he's gay," Kurt ventured, trying to comfort his friend. "I mean, just look at his hair. And who wears a baby-blue shirt to a party? Although, that colour and cut is totally working for him." From the slump of her shoulders he could tell she wasn't convinced. Not for the first time Kurt found himself cursing his step-brother's selfishness. Why did he have to be so blatantly over Rachel, rubbing his availability in her face like that? Wasn't it enough that he'd broken up with her in front of the entire glee-club? Instead of continuing their conversation, he ushered the singer outside, where she wouldn't have to witness her ex-boyfriend's cruelty, or Quintin Fabray's indifference.

Santana meanwhile had managed to catch the whole awkward exchange on the couch, and now turned to the girl lounging beside her. "Hey, Britt, is your brother gay or something?" That's the only explanation she could come up with for Quintin's behaviour. Sure, a few guys had approached the dork, but she didn't take that to mean anything. He'd dismissed them anyway. Most of the girls had been throwing themselves at the bookworm too though, leaving very little to the imagination, and he'd still rejected them with barely a second glance. And yeah, Berry usually dressed like a cross between a toddler and a psychotic grandma, but the hobbit had managed to clean up enough to catch a few eyes tonight, so what the hell? After that nauseating display from Finncompetent, she kinda felt sorry for the midget. So maybe Auntie Tana could do something about it.

Her internal ramblings were cut short when Brittany yanked her out of her seat by her hips, pulling their bodies closer together. "Quintin's not gay," she whispered in a tan ear, enjoying the shiver her words caused. They were against one of the livingroom walls, out of everyone's way. "He's just shy, San. And a virgin" she added, lightly biting her earlobe lightly. Santana's incredulous laugh turned into a groan of pleasure, and she twisted away from the mischievous blonde with a sultry smile.

"Wanna get outta here?" She was already pulling them towards the front door, Brittany's excited giggles spurring her on. She'd worry about a way to hook up Berry and the virgin Fabray later. "I wants to get my mack on."


	2. Flirting with boys and Santana Lopez

Chapter 2: Flirting with boys and Santana Lopez

Brittany giggled at the look on Santana's face, then smiled softly at the other's pout. "I wasn't laughing at you, San" she assured her, leaning in to steal a kiss. The pair were in Santana's car, enjoying the benefits of its back seat.

"Why'd you stop?" the latina asked softly. She traced her fingers over Britt's impressive abdominals. Her hands had been well on their way to the blonde's breasts when she'd pulled away. Luckily she hadn't buttoned up her shirt yet, so Santana enjoyed the view while waiting for an answer.

"You're so beautiful," Brittany murmured. "I could just look at you forever." She could tell her words affected the confident girl in her arms, blue eyes twinkling in delight at the blush on tan cheeks.

Santana ducked her head, feeling uncharacteristically shy. "You wanna go back inside?" she whispered trying not to squirm. She had known from the first meeting with the blonde that she was different, special. She just hadn't expected the girl to make her feel special as well. "Maybe your brother's put down his book by now."

Brittany shook her head. "Quinn's not really a party guy. He just comes along cos me and Sam beg him too." She giggled again at Santana's reaction to her words. But that was probably because she had whispered them into her ear. Her girl was surprisingly sensitive in that region.

"So what, you just wanna stay here?" the other questioned. Not that she minded really. She'd been to her share of Puck's parties, and knew she wasn't missing anything much. She sighed contentedly as Britt's arms tightened around her.

"That sounds really nice," came the answer. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Santana said snuggling closer. "Actually, that's just perfect."

Inside the Puckerman residence things were beginning to wind down. Finn had managed to lead his conquests off the dance floor and into one of the available guest rooms, oblivious to the hazel-eyed gaze following his every move. Quintin had given up his reading once first Brittany then Sam had disappeared. He wasn't too worried about them though. The triplets had made a celibacy pledge after the reason for their parents' split was revealed.

He spotted Mike and Tina and made his way over. School was starting on Monday, and he wanted to know what to expect. It would be the first time all three Fabrays were attending the same school.

"Hey, Quintin," Tina greeted. "Enjoying the party?" She was only barely slurring her words, and smiled at her boyfriend adorably. "I can't believe we're starting school on Monday."

"Yep," Mike said before kissing her lips. "Junior year. You gonna be my date to prom?" He laughed at Tina's vigorous nods. "What about you, Quintin? What grade are you starting in?"

The blonde ruffled his hair. "Junior like you guys, I guess," he said. His intelligence had always been a sore point; Russell wanting him to skip grades and Judy wanting him to get the full high school experience. In the end he'd chosen to stay in his age group, but he was usually bored by the work.

"Oh, cool. Maybe we'll be in the same classes," Mike said. "You can keep me company."

Quinn raised an eyebrow in question. Tina shrugged, "I'm a sophomore. Mike couldn't get any of the girls in his grade to be his girlfriend," she teased. Mike's answer was an exasperated shake of his head.

"Whatever. Let's not forget who pulled who in for a kiss." He smiled at his blushing partner. "Not that I'm complaining," he elaborated, winking at Quinn. "Not out loud anyway."

Quinn laughed with the couple, enjoying their banter. They were obviously inlove, and he felt a pang of longing for a moment, wondering if that would ever be him. Unfortunately the only person who'd managed to pique his interest probably thought he wasn't interested. Sometimes he really hated being shy.

They were soon joined by Sam and a chuckling Mercedes. "Hey guys," the blonde said, pulling the black girl closer. "Hey Quinn, this is Mercedes Jones. 'Cedes, this is my brother Quintin," he introduced. The girl offered him a smile, and a soft "Hi."

"Nice to meet you, Mercedes. And sorry you had to be stuck with him all night," he joked, sticking his tongue out at Sam. "If you're ever in need of real conversation, don't hesitate to find me."

She laughed at the adorable pout Sam was pointing her way. "It's all good Quintin," she assured him. "I'm not taking him too seriously," she teased, shaking her head. And it was true. Sam had asked her to dance, and she'd been so surprised she found herself saying yes without considering if it was a prank. Gorgeous guys didn't normally find girls like her attractive. She had enjoyed the attention, but wasn't deluding herself with thinking it would last.

"Aw, that hurt my feelings," Sam said, batting his eyelashes. "You should make it up to me," he told a still chuckling Mercedes. The boy was cute, but crazy.

"How'm I s'posed to do that?" She put her hands on her hips or good measure, loving the flirting, even it was just for tonight.

"How do you think?" he challenged, waggling his eyebrows. "A kiss, of course." Sam proceeded to pucker his lips, eyes tightly closed and hands clasped behind his back. When nothing happened, he peeked through one eye. "Well, whatchu waitin' for?"

Mercedes couldn't help it; she burst into peals of laughter. Pretty soon everyone was joining in, until even Sam had to chuckle along. He'd really wanted that kiss though.

It was to this scene that Santana and Brittany returned. The blonde had finally been ready to let go, and the two joined their friends in the corner of the living room. Quinn took note of their hand-holding, quirking an eyebrow at his sister. Brittany's face-splitting grin was answer enough.

"Wow, you guys got the dork to put down his book," Santana commented, reaching out to ruffle Quintin's hair. "What did you do, trade him for his bottle?" she only smiled wider at the glare he shot her way.

"San, be nice" Britt chided, smoothing the unruly strands of her brother's blonde head. "And don't play with Quinn's hair; he doesn't like it." Sam awwed at the blush on his brother's face, fist bumping Santana.

"Sorry babe," the latina said, not sorry in the least. "So what are we doing? Spin-the-bottle?" She quickly snagged an empty beer bottle, looking around to see who was left. Ideally this would be a gleeks only activity, but she'd be okay with a few jocks and Cheerios joining in.

"Hey Puck!" she yelled over the music, "Gleeks Only Spin-the-bottle!" The mohawked footballer rounded up the rest of their motley crew, ushering a drunk Finn, his two skanks, a protesting Kurt and a steely-eyed Rachel to the little corner the others claimed. This was gonna be so epic!

"Okay, rules?" Santana queried, getting comfortable. Since her forced coming out, Puck was always pushing her to play Spin-the-bottle, and whenever Finn was involved she would oblige.

"Um, lemme think," hedged Puck. He had broken off his friendship with the lumbering jock after what he did to Santana, and relished any opportunity to embarrass him. From the look in his lezbro's eyes, this was gonna be awesome. "Okay. At least five minutes, with tongue, no exceptions. Girls, boys, whatever."

"What?" Finn asked stupidly. "I can't kiss Kurt, he's like, my brother. And I'm not kissing Rachel, or Santana." He scrunched his face to show his disgust with those options.

Puck wasn't fazed. "Whatever dude, you don't have to play."

Santana agreed. "Yeah, that's cool. Actually that kinda works out better, cos the only people wantin' anything to do with your dough-boy ass are these two putas. But you're a gleek, so ya gotta spin. Q can take ya turns," she finished, smirking at a flushed Finn.

"Everybody ready? Let's do this!" Puck wiggled between Kurt and Rachel, rubbing his hands together. He couldn't wait to see the look on Finnept's face! Nobody messed with his fellow hot Jew. Plus he thought her and that Q kid would look hot together, 'specially if he kept the girly hair.

The first spin was Santana's and she landed on Brittany much to everyone's surprise. The kiss lasted for much longer than the required five minutes, but nobody was complaining. The next spin landed on Tina, who squeaked in surprise when the blonde simply leaned over and planted one on her.

"Wow," Mike muttered unable to tear his eyes away. "So hot, baby."

Tina licked her lips after Brittany let go, looking around dazedly. "Um, wow, th-that was, um. Is it hot in here?" Her spin landed on Puck, who winked at Mike before kissing the Asian girl.

Puck's spin landed on Kurt, who blushed bright red when all eyes suddenly turned to him. "Do I really have to?" he whispered, looking pleadingly at his glee-mates. "No offense Puck, but I'd rather my first kiss be with a potential suitor."

Puck frowned at him. "Dude, you've never been kissed?" He narrowed his eyes in thought at Kurt's frantic head-shaking, then smirked in triumph. "I gotcha bro. No worries."

The kiss took Kurt's breath away.

"Noah, I had no idea you could be such a gentleman." Rachel was smiling at her fellow Jew in thanks. Kurt's first kiss, while not from a potential suitor, had been perfect: gentle and sweet, soft and so innocent. Puck shrugged at Rachel's softly spoken words.

"Not all us guys are homo-fearin' douche-bags, Rach." He quickly motioned for the other boy to spin his turn.

Kurt landed on Santana, who grinned evilly at the look of terror on his face. "Aw, Lady Hummel, don't be scared. Aunty Tana won't hurt you," she whispered. The kiss was as mesmerizing as Puck's had been. "See, nothing to it," she said as she released him, taking her turn to spin.

She landed on Quintin. "Jackpot!" She laughed at the look on his face. "Pucker up, Fabray; gimme some sugar." The kiss was again slow and sweet, but Santana surprised everyone by being the one to wipe her mouth after. Damn virgins! Quinn only smirked at her discomfort, winking at his sister. Santana truly was something else. She would fit into the Fabray family just fine.

The next spin fell on Rachel. Quinn gulped. He was so screwed.


	3. The Power of Brittany-hugs

Chapter 3: The Power of Brittany-hugs

Santana graciously offered the Fabrays a ride home, being actually a lot less drunk than anyone could believe. Rachel's dad was picking her up, and she offered to drop Tina, Mike and Mercedes off, which left Kurt to get his inebriated stepbrother and his skanks home. Unsurprisingly the glee-clubbers were the only people still at Puck's party once the 'bar' officially closed, and they happily helped him clean up, singing as they went. Most of the songs were what they had been singing in glee, a mix of showtunes, pop hits and eighties rock. Between the cleaning and singing (and Mike's awesome dancing, even while drunk) Brittany was invited to go shopping with Tina and Kurt on Saturday, while Mercedes invited Sam with her to church on Sunday. Puck convinced Mike that the glee-guys needed to hang out without the girls one last time before school started on Monday, and roped Quintin and Sam into his plan. Rachel's and Finn's exclusion from these suggestions didn't go unnoticed though, only unquestioned. Lima really was shaping up to be most intriguing.

#GLEE#

The mall was packed with kids and parents rushing for that last forgotten item that would make the new school year bearable. Santana was actually glad Brittany insisted on holding her hand. If she lost the blonde in the crowd, she'd probably lose her shit. And that was if Sam and Quinn didn't get to her first. Her amusement at their protectiveness had been short-lived when Judy Fabray had cornered her that morning.

"You must be Santana," the older blonde had held out her hand. "Britt can't stop talking about you."

She had blushed for some weird reason, and had wanted to pull away. Judy had gripped her hand tightly, intelligent blue eyes watching her like a hawk. Gulp.

"She's very special to me, to all of us. If anything bad happens to her, because of you..." The threat had been clear. Yet when Brittany joined them in the foyer, ready to check out the mall, her mother's icy exterior had been nowhere to be found.

Santana had stared at her in shock, before allowing the tall dancer to drag her out the door. These people were absolutely insane. It did not however escape her notice that she took Judy, and by extention Sam and Quinn very seriously. She didn't let Brittany out of her sight.

By the time they were ready for lunch, one thing had become very clear: Santana Lopez was whipped. Seriously, all Brittany had to do was pout, and the latina was buying stuffed unicorns (since they were Britt's favourite animal), rainbow-coloured pens (to brighten up the sure-to-be-boring homework for school), or whatever else caught her fancy. She was even dragged into a photo-booth! Yeah the pictures came out great, because come on, they're hot, but still! Those booths were disgusting and probably crawling with straight-couple-germs! Tina and Kurt merely shook their heads. Santana was the biggest, meanest bitch either of them knew, and to see her so cowed was kinda sweet, and also kinda scary in an isn't-that-sign-a-of-the-apocalypse-way. They'd put it on facebook to share with all of Lima if it wasn't so unbelievable.

Kurt's appraisal of this less uptight Santana was interrupted by his cellphone chiming. "Oh, it's a text from Puck. The bros are tired of bonding, and have retired to Mike's pool. We're invited to come show off our tan-lines. If we have any." He could feel Tina watching the rising flush on his face, and avoided her. "What do you think?" he directed at Santana.

She shrugged. "Sounds good to me. You gonna show us your lady-hummel?" She quirked an eyebrow at Kurt, sharing a chuckle with Tina. "Aww, it's nothin' to be ashamed about! You're a meat-lovin' man; own it."

Kurt felt like he was dying of mortification, and Tina's guffaws were not helping. He was saved by an angel, however. "I like meat too, San." It was his turn to guffaw, except he almost got killed for his trouble. A mocked Santana was not a pleasant Santana. Seeing her melt into a Brittany-hug was totally worth it though.

#GLEE#

Brittany-hugs were the best things ever, Kurt mused. They could even make World Peace a possibility. No, a probability. The only thing people would be fighting for in the end would be who gets the next hug.

Upon their arrival, Quinn was being his usual, book-reading self. Then Brittany hugged him hello. And then he was challenging Mike and Puck in diving-tricks, and winning more than just that competition. Mr Chang's abs had definitely met their match.

In a shady corner Sam was arguing the merits of Christopher Reeves' Superman versus 'That other guy' with a wheelchair-bound Artie, when Britt hugged him. Next thing, he was serenading Mercedes with the entire Justin Bieber songbook. It was hilarious! Mostly because he was that good.

For the rest of the afternoon Santana's scowl was non-existent. Mostly because Britt kept sneak attacking her. They had all snapped to attention when the brunette giggled. Like a little girl! The assembled New Directions had never heard a more beautiful sound Kurt was sure (not from Santana anyway).

When she hugged Mike to thank him for sharing his pool, he tripped. The guy who could dance better than most people walk, even while drunk off his ass, tripped over his own feet. It was brilliant!

Her hug made Artie blush, although that might have been caused by the set of boobs in his face.

She twirled Puck around while hugging him. Actually picked him up and went "Whee!" with an infectious grin on her face. And he didn't try to flirt with her once for the rest of the day! It was like the Twilight Zone.

Unfortunately all superheroes had a weakness. Brittany-hugs died an abrupt death in the presence of Finn Hudson.


	4. Saturday fights and Sunday tears

Chapter 4: Saturday night fights and Sunday morning tears

As it turned out, Artie had texted Finn about the impromptu pool-party at Mike's. (Puck and Santana were visibly disappointed that he was not gate-crashing after all.) He was wearing flip-flops, colourful long shorts and a t-shirt with the American flag on it. The dark sunglasses made Mike give a nod in sympathy, while Santana and Puck only smirked. His mere presence made Brittany pout however, and caused Quintin to resume his earlier scowling, previously discarded copy of 'The Silmarillion' in hand.

"Wait, isn't Rachel here?" Finn scanned the area of Mike's backyard carefully, acting like maybe Rachel was hiding from him. "I thought this was a New Directions party?" His confusion was evident to all.

If Quinn felt their gathered expectant stares, he didn't show it. His head remained resolutely bent over his paperback.

"Guess she had better things to do," Mercedes offered in the suddenly tense atmosphere. She frowned at Santana's scoff. "What? She could have something," she defended lamely. "I mean, how much do we really know about her, outside of school and glee?"

"We know Finnept dumped her," Santana sneered in his direction. "We know she's bossy and controlling and she refused to sleep with him cos she's a prude. Oh, and her gay fathers are gay." She continued to stare at Finn, keenly studying his flushed appearance. "Did I leave anything out?"

He merely narrowed his eyes at her, struggling to contain his temper. Registering Puck's restraining hand on the Latina's arm, he smirked in satisfaction. He had known his best friend would have his back, same as always. Sure, all the crap that went down between them hurt and stuff, but right now Puck was on his side, and it felt damn good.

His relief was short-lived.

"We know Finn dumped her in front of everybody, you mean." Puck took a step closer to his former best friend, eyeing him with distaste. "And then he showed up to my party with a pair of skanks to rub it in her face."

By now, the rest of the glee-clubbers surrounded the three of them. The so-called Finchel break-up had been unexpected only because most of them assumed Rachel would be the one to initiate it. They had not forseen Finn's cruelty. The petite diva's dignity in the face of her humiliation had determined their lack of reaction for the most part, Puck's distance and Santana's rancor notwithstanding. But perhaps that was about to be changed.

"Guys, look, I know that was a shitty thing to do, okay, but Rachel and I broke up, alright?" Finn attempted to gain control of the situation. "The reasons why are none of your business."

"Well, you made it our business when you enumerated them in our presence." Usually Mike Chang was the quietly observing type, except when he wasn't. "You may be my captain, and that means something out on the field, but right now you're a jerk and I don't like you. I especially don't like the way you've treated Rachel. At school that's not really something I can change, but here in my home I can. So I'm gonna ask you, as nicely as I can, to please leave. You're not welcome here."

"You can't do that!" the footballer spluttered. "I have as much right to be here as everyone else. Besides, Artie invited me," he added triumphantly. Finn knew the wheelchaired freshman idolised him, and they wouldn't want to upset the boy. Puck was a total badass but even he felt bad when Artie couldn't hang out with his fellow club-members outside of school. They couldn't touch him!

"I'm kinda sorry I mentioned it, actually" Artie said seriously. "I just thought you could use a friend, and I knew Rachel wasn't gonna be here so you wouldn't have a reason to be an ass. Guess I was wrong." The disappointment was clear in his voice. He hadn't been at Puck's party on Friday, so he hadn't known about Finn's behaviour with his 'dates', but he had seen firsthand how petty the tall boy was around Rachel post-breakup, and he didn't like it. Rachel may be all those things Finn called her, and probably more, but she was his friend too. Technically she was his friend first.

"Finn, I'm not asking you again," Mike said. Someone had switched off the music, and his voice was firm in the sudden vacuum. Their footsteps were solemn on the way to the gate. Clearly, the party was over.

#GLEE#

Sunday morning breakfasts in the Fabray household were usually low-key affairs. This was after all a day reserved for reflection and contemplation, thanking God for His blessings and sharing His love. This Sunday morning breakfast was a beehive of excitement. Judy was anxious about attending the church she grew up in. After marrying Russell and moving away, she had been expected to join his church, and had never looked back. Her sister's family were still part of that same congregation, despite living in a different district. She couldn't wait to see Frannie, and little Cooper. A significant part of her anxiety was due to the news that she had borne another child though, also a boy. And none of the Fabrays had even met the darling yet!

Unfortunately Sam had already planned to go to church with Mercedes and her family, so it would just be Quintin and Brittany joining her. Santana was coming over for lunch as per her request; she wanted to know the girl her daughter was so taken with. Then later they had an afternoon visit scheduled with the Changs, their neighbours who lived a few houses down the road. Their son would be on the football team with Sam, if he managed to join. Certain she was ready for anything that might come her way today, Judy grabbed her keys. Time to go!

Sam was suitably charming while meeting Dr and Mrs Jones, one ill-conceived 'me and Mrs Jones' comment notwithstanding. Mercedes spent most of the ride to the church teasing him about flirting with her mother, enjoying his embarrassed mumbles. The service itself was lively and spirited, and he had a great time worshipping with his new friend.

"You know, Quinn and Britt would love your church," he told Mercedes on their way to her father's car. He had elected to walk home from there, rather than have Doctor Jones spend any more gas on him.

Mercedes laughed happily. "They are more than welcome. I'm glad you liked it," she told him, smiling at his antics. Sam was walking backwards, waving greetings to the leaving congregation.

"Are you kidding? I haven't had that much fun at church since...ever! Do you guys sing like that in glee?" They were at the car now, and Mercedes waited patiently for her parents to finish their respective conversations. She shook her head at the attention her friend was getting. Like they aint never seen a white boy before.

"I sing like that in glee," she confirmed. "The rest of 'em are good too, I guess." Sam just flashed her a smile. "Nah, we're really good. You should seriously think of joining, Sam. If you liked that in there," she gestured to the church, "then you will love glee. New Directions are gonna make it all the way to Nationals this time."

The Joneses had reached their car by then. "You're a singer too, huh?" Doctor Jones asked Sam having heard the last comment. He had been surprised when his daughter told them about her invitation to the boy. But he had found himself liking the impish young man, almost despite himself. If his baby girl was ready to start dating, he couldn't have picked a better candidate.

Sam shrugged. "Um, I don't know 'bout that, sir. I was at an all boys school and we didn't have a glee-club or anything. But from what 'Cedes tells me, it could be really cool." He swallowed nervously at the knowing look Doctor Jones gave him. Crap, had he just called her 'Cedes? What if that was his nickname for her or something? Fall back, fall back now! "So, thanks for having me Doctor and Missus Jones. I had a lovely time," he greeted them. "I'll see you on Monday," he told Mercedes, unable to resist adding a flirty wink.

"Yeah, see ya Sam," she said, waving at him. "Better start practicing for glee auditions before then though," she added, laughing out loud as he stuck out his tongue at her. That boy really was crazy!

#GLEE#

Francine and Edward Anderson were waiting for Judy and her family outside the St Augustine Church of Lima. The sisters were in each others arms almost as soon as they arrived, crying and laughing and crying some more. The biggest regret for Judy had always been allowing Russell to come between them, and when she had needed to get away from the bad memories of her farce of a marriage, she had wanted to be here. Home in small-town Ohio, with her sister a car ride away.

By contrast, the children meeting each other was far more subdued. Cooper was a tall handsome replica of his father, and smiled politely at his long-absent Aunt Judy, offering his hand to his newly discovered cousins with a soft "Hey." His younger brother Blaine was a bit more vocal, accepting Judy's kiss with a slight blush.

"It's nice to meet you, Aunt Judy," he said. Brittany decided that he deserved a hug, and proceeded to do just that. More blushing ensued, until Quintin stepped in.

"Easy, Britt, you don't wanna break him before Sam's had a chance to meet him." He carefully separated them, offering Blaine his hand. "Hey, I'm Quintin. Welcome to the family."

The sermon was focused on forgiveness, both the asking and receiving of it, and felt like a sign. Many of the congregation recognised Judy, and welcomed her back warmly. This too felt like a sign; that God had seen Judy's need for forgiveness and acceptance, and provided it in abundance. Quinn had to excuse himself in the middle of a hymn, needing to step outside for some air. He was crying.

"Hey, you okay cuz?" Blaine was holding out a white hankerchief. "Your mom asked me to check on you," he said softly. He had been surprised when his mom told them about her elder sister. He hadn't even known he had cousins!

"Thanks," Quinn said softly, accepting it. He dabbed at his eyes, struggling to regain his composure. "Was she okay?" he asked quietly. He knew both his mom and sister had been affected too, and he felt ashamed that he couldn't stay inside to comfort them.

Blaine nodded his head. "Yeah. I mean they were crying, but our moms have been crying since the service started, right?"

Quinn only shrugged. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now, especially not his never-seen-before cousin. "Tell my mom, I'm sorry. And I'll see them at home, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer. He just needed to get away.


	5. A Brand New Day(1)

Chapter 5: A Brand New Day(1)

The austere facade of William McKinley High stood staring at the Fabray triplets with disdain. They in turn were staring back with varying degrees of excitement, trepidation, and awe.

Lunch on Sunday had not been as awkward as Quintin had feared, after his embarrassing display at church. Watching Santana try to impress Judy had been wonderfully distracting. Funnily enough, she was even more distracting in a too-short-to-be-legal cheerleading skirt.

"Hey, you made it. Congrats," she smirked at Quinn and Sam. Brittany was wrapped around her new best friend like a snake, vibrating with excitement.

"Ready?" the Latina asked her girl. Cheerios try-outs would be starting in a few minutes, and she could not afford to be late. Sue Sylvester had only agreed to her reinstatement after Santana signed a very detailed contract.

"Ready!" Brittany chirped, saluting her siblings. They were wearing matching blue jeans and fatigues-style jackets, with their names stitched on the left pocket. Their respective t-shirts, shoes and backpacks were the only outward difference between them. Brittany was wearing a plain, bright pink t-shirt, pink and white Converse sneakers, and a bubblegum-pink backpack. Santana thought she looked like a walking talking piece of cotton candy. Tasty.

Mike and Tina were saying their goodbyes too. The Asian girl had decided to try-out along with Britt, although she didn't think she'd make it. At least she could say she tried, and offer the blonde her support. She joined the two smiling girls as they headed for the gym. Mike joined Quintin and Sam, leading them over to the boys' locker rooms. The two footballers had convinced the basketball-player to sign up for the McKinley Titans with them, after an impressive backyard game at the Changs on Sunday afternoon. Mike had been dubious at first when Britt was put on his team against her brothers, but soon found himself changing his mind. Apparently all the Fabrays were exceptionally athletic. He was actually a little sad that girls weren't allowed to play at their school, but luckily he still got two out of three on his team. Maybe they might actually win a few more games this season!

"It's a real pity that Britt won't be able to join," he lamented, signing his name with a flourish. Sam's scribbled mess above his signature looked like a kid still learning how to write his name, and Mike shook his head at the defiled page.

"She's dead set on being on the Cheerios with Santana," Quinn said while signing his name on the sheet. He wrote in neat, completely uniform block letters. "If it wasn't for that, you know we would've tried to get her on. Besides, you've got me and Sam; that's gotta be more than enough, right?" They were joking all the way back to the main hallways, where they split off. Sam and Quinn had to meet the principal. "See ya around, Chang!" the brothers chorused, exchanging high-fives and back-slaps with the laughing Asian.

"Later guys!" Mike called over his shoulder, disappearing around a corner. He hoped they'd make it on the Titans squad, or else their dorky behaviour was going to cause them a lot of problems. "Enjoy your first day!"

The two blondes made their way to the administration office without hassle. They were met by a smiling Noah Puckerman and a scowling Rachel Berry. If they had known the boy any better, they would have recognised the scheming look in his eyes. The Fabrays did not. Rachel was another matter.

"Hey, there they are," Puck said jovially, waggling his eyebrows at the boys. "Figgins couldn't meet with you, so he asked me and my Jewbabe to fill in for him." He winked at the still scowling brunette before handing each boy a folder. "Class-schedules, locker combos, the rules and... indemnity forms!" he finished, throwing his arms wide. Throwing another wink at Rachel, he grabbed Sam's arm, "Let's go Guppy Lips."

This left Quintin alone with Rachel, to the blonde's horror. Damn that Puckerman! The two teens hadn't seen or spoken to each other since the unfortunate Spin-the-bottle incident at his party on Friday. It was awkward, to say the least.

"So," Quinn said.

"So," echoed Rachel. She walked past the secretary without a word, prompting Quinn to follow or risk getting lost and missing all of his classes. She led him first to the library, where he collected all his necessary textbooks. Next was the lockers.

She waited patiently (and silently) for him to check his combination. The blonde hesitated before placing all the textbooks in his locker, closing it firmly. The 'click' sounded like a gunshot to Quinn's ears.

He took a deep breath before facing the silent brunette. "Hey."

She nodded her head in acknowledgement of his word, but didn't say anything in reply. Quintin hadn't planned for that scenario, and didn't have a suitable rejoinder ready, so the quiet tour continued. He caught sight of a laughing Sam and Puck also making the rounds, and gritted his teeth in annoyance as realization dawned. First Santana had paired them up at the party, and now Puck was doing the same. Why? And why him, for sobbing out loud.

"I'm sorry, Rachel." Shit! He hadn't meant to say that out loud, or at all. Crap, she's looking at me, what now? Think, Fabray, think! "I shouldn't have let Santana manipulate me at the party on Friday. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." That was probably an understatement. After their kiss (mind-blowingly amazing though it had been) Rachel had bolted, and when she reappeared she had avoided the blonde like the plague.

"So you're not sorry you kissed me?" The question caught Quinn off-guard. The borderline insecure tone of the question caught him off-guard. Wait, what?

"Huh?" He arched his eyebrow at Rachel's giggle. Not funny. "I mean, what? Why would I..." Just calm down, take breath. Relax, and exhale. Now, "Why would I be sorry I kissed you? And for the record, you kissed me back young lady." Again with the giggling. Again, not funny. Cue eyebrow. "I'm waiting Rachel. Answer the question."

Apparently, if Quintin Fabray arches his eyebrow and crosses his arms like that, and speaks with a certain tone of voice to certain brunette singers, he looks very intimidating to outside observers. The fact that he had unconsciously stepped closer to the dimunitive diva didn't help matters.

"Hey, back off man!" He was unceremoniously shoved back into the lockers by a tall, angry and kinda red-faced Finn Hudson. "What's your problem, huh? Can't you take no for an answer?"

By a lucky coincidence, Mr William Schuester was on his way to his classroom when he spotted their altercation, and he soon intervened. "What's going on over here? Rachel, are you okay?"

The girl in question could only stare, dumbfounded. Finn still held Quintin pinned against the bank of lockers, alternately glaring at the boy, and glancing at Rachel. Mr Schue pulled him away.

"What's going on, Finn?" he asked, putting himself between the two boys. "Why were you attacking this kid?"

Finn was struggling to regain enough calm to answer his mentor. "He was threatening Rachel." He shot another glare at the blonde when Quinn snorted.

"You're delusional, Hudson," Quintin said. "Nobody was threatening anyone. Rachel and I were just talking." He nodded in the brunette's direction. "Go ahead, ask her."

Schuester turned to Rachel. "Is that true?" he asked suspiciously. "You don't have to be afraid to answer Rachel," he assured the teen. "No ones gonna hurt you."

It was so uncommon a statement Rachel burst out laughing. "Really, Mr Schue?" she said, trying valiantly to keep the scornful tone out of her voice. So typical, she thought. Where was his supposed concern when Finn was listing the reasons for dumping her, in front of every member of the glee club as well as their coach. His perplexed expression just made it worse.

"Quinn's the only person present right now who hasn't actually hurt me. But thanks for the concern anyway." She turned to Finn with an unreadable expression. "I don't know why you did that, but it wasn't needed. You're not my knight anymore, Finn." Finally she reached for Quintin's hand, pulling him away from the other two thoroughly confused men.

"What just happened?" the blonde asked, arching his eyebrow at her. "Did you just scold your ex-boyfriend and your teacher for trying to protect you?"

In lieu of an answer, the brunette singer only shrugged. Quite frankly she had no idea what had possessed her to act that way. Whatever had caused the impulse was gone now. She realized she was still holding Quinn's hand, and let go while blushing like mad.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"That's okay," he assured her. "I didn't mind. And I'm not sorry I kissed you," Quintin added. He chuckled when his admittance caused Rachel to almost trip. "Whoops," he grabbed for her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed, "I'm fine. You just caught me by surprise, that's all. Um, you can let go now, I'm really fine."

Rachel had her head turned down, so she missed Quinn's smirk, but not his softly whispered "Yeah you are." Luckily he caught her before she could trip again. "Easy," he smiled. "I got you."

Yes, Rachel thought, you sure do. Best First Day Of School Ever!


	6. A Brand New Day(2)

Chapter 6: A Brand New Day(2)

Not many people knew how close Santana Lopez and Noah Puckerman used to be, except Finn Hudson. The two hellions had met at a community barbeque when they were nine and ten years old, respectively, and had immediately hit it off. It was in fact the latina who first called the Jewish boy Puck; a name he accepted once he realized what it rhymed with. Mrs Puckerman had her hands full with trying to keep her job, raising Puck's little sister Sarah, and still keeping her head held high with the rumours of Mr Puckerman's infidelities flying around (or staring her in the face) so she encouraged the friendship. As long as the kids stayed out of Lima Heights Adjacent after sunset, they could do almost anything they wanted.

Once the two reached high school, things began to change. Puck wasnt the brightest when it came to academics, and spent most of his time playing football or video games. Santana went out for the cheerleading squad, and started becoming very popular. They still talked, but it became strained; their earlier camaraderie completely gone. Until Puck threw his first party.

The guys on the football team had been pestering him about a party for a while, and when his Nana got sick, and his mom packed herself and Sarah up for the weekend, he took his shot. Some of the seniors on the team brought beers and wine coolers along, and pretty soon Puck was drunk. He spotted an equally drunk Santana and led her to his bedroom. They woke up naked and hung-over on Saturday, and declared that they were now dating. By Monday everyone knew about them hooking up.

It lasted until the summer before Sophomore year. Santana came back from cheer-camp with a new best friend, Camille Mackenzie who everyone called The Mack. Puck also gained a new best friend, a tall gangly football player called Finn Hudson. And when school started, the two new best friends of the two former best friends fell in love.

Then Mr Schuester somehow convinced Finn to join the school's glee-club, and the newly chosen captain of the football team roped his best friend, his girlfriend, and her best friend into the madness. Suddenly Puck found himself singing show-tunes next to boys he had enjoyed dumping into the school's dumpsters, and Santana was learning choreography alongside the girl who got targeted with her best insults. It was chaos. It was the beginning of the end, and it was all Finn's fault.

So when they met the Fabray-triplets, and saw the way a certain diva's eyes kept lingering on one Fabray in particular, a plan formed. The Spin-the-bottle-kiss, and Finn's reaction to it, only spurred them on.

Puck had been surprised by how easy it was to convince Principal Figgins that he would handle welcoming the triplets to their new school. It had been infinitely harder to convince Rachel to help. But in the end he had pulled it off. He had Sam, Santana had Brittany, and Rachel had Quintin. Perfect!

R#GLEE#Q

Or maybe not so perfect.

Almost as soon as Rachel let go of Quintin's hand, he was slushied. She gasped in disbelief. Vaguely she recognized the laughter and taunts of Azimio Adams; his smug voice saying something undoubtably stupid, followed by retreating footsteps. She flinched as her hand touched Quinn's shoulder.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe they slushied you!" The little brunette was beside herself. "Quintin, are you okay?" She rolled her eyes at herself. Duh, Rachel. "Of course you're not, I mean-"

He cut her off. "I'm fine, Rae. This is actually not that bad. I mean, it's colder than a witch's tit, and my contacts are totally ruined, but if you could please check in my bag?" he gestured, waiting to hear movement. "I have an extra t-shirt in there."

Before Rachel knew what hit her, the blonde boy had whipped his now ruined jacket and t-shirt off, using the soiled clothes to wipe the excess ice-chips of his face and torso. "I'm a bit of a mess, huh?" he chuckled, shaking his head at the melted mess they were standing in. "I hope the janitors get danger-pay, or really good benefits."

Rachel finally regained enough composure to offer Quinn his t-shirt. It was blue, with a stylized Q in black on the front. "I hate to cut the tour short, but you obviously need to find the closest bathroom, and get cleaned up. In my experience, waiting too long means the dye will stain."

Quinn nodded uncertainly. The diva continued, "I'm so sorry about this Quintin."

Cue the eyebrow. "Why? It's not your fault Rach. You're not the one who slushied me, and it's not like I expected you to jump in front of an icy projectile for me or anything."

Rachel shook her head, clearly not agreeing. "No, it really is my fault. Nobody at this school gets slushied more than me, and I should have realized that I was back to being their number one target again, especially now that it's clear that Finn really broke up with me."

It was Quinn's turn to shake his head. "I don't agree with that, Rachel, and I don't blame anyone except those lugheads. Come on, help me get cleaned up huh? I feel super sticky, and not in a good way. Then we'll go find the Principal and report those idiots. They're not gonna get away with this."

Before Rachel could protest, the first period bell rang. Soon the hallway was filled with students rushing to get to class. They expertly maneuvered around the two and the pool of slushy at Quintin's feet, sending snickers and giggles their way. Quinn noticed, and sneered at those brave enough to make eye contact. This was not funny. He only remembered he was still topless when some of those snickers turned into flirtatious winks. And cue the blushing. Why oh why did he have to be fair-skinned, and easily embarrassed?

R#GLEE#Q

"Oh crap," Puck said as soon as he saw them. Santana was gonna kill him. He had forgotten about the threat of slushies in his excitement at playing match-maker. He also hadn't reckoned on Karofsky and Azimio foregoing their favourite target to have a go at the new kid instead.

"Is that Q?" Sam asked, craning his neck to see past the masses. "We should go help him, right? My brother's really weird about people staring at him too hard." He was already worming his way through the students by the time Puck registered his words. They reached the duo at the same time that Finn did.

"Are you freaking kidding me!" the tall teen yelled, pulling Rachel away from the still shirtless and now shivering blonde. He looked at him incredulously. "Why are you naked? Do you have some kinda deathwish? Put your clothes on and stop harassing Rachel!" He was right in Quinn's face, completely disregarding the staring students around them.

"What the hell, dude!" Sam forced his way between the angry teen and his brother. "Get away from him!" It was clear that Finn had no idea that Quintin had been slushied, even though it was blatanly obvious to everyone else. "What's your problem, man?"

Their altercation finally attracted the attention of one of the teachers. Unfortunately, it was Coach Sylvester. She was leading her new recruits around the school in what she called their victory lap. They had made it onto the much-envied Cheerios squad, and sooner the rest of the student body recognised their new superiors, the better.

"What's going on over here?" she asked, arching her eyebrow at a half-dressed Quinn. "Where's your shirt, boy? Are you trying to start a riotin my school? Because that will not be allowed without my written permission, which I don't recall giving to any of you mouthbreathers."

Rachel stepped out of Finn's hold to defend Quintin's lack of clothing. "Miss Sylvester, if I may? Quintin is a new student, and he was the victim of a slushy attack. We were on our way to a bathroom to get him properly cleaned up, when we were regrettably detained." She finished with a pointed look at her ex-boyfriend.

"But why's his shirt off?" Finn asked, a hint of a petulant whine in his voice. "This isn't the bathrooms; it's a hallway."

Sue scoffed at him. "I can't bear to breathe the same air as the rest of you pathetic losers, so I suggest you remove your offensive selves from my presence post haste. And I advise you to never open your gaping pie-hole anywhere near me again, lest I detonate my nuclear missiles in an attempt to shut you up. Be gone!"

Santana hissed at the few straggling students who were hanging around, clearing the hallway in seconds. She glared at Puck, who winced before lifting his hands in surrender.

"You're an idiot," she told him, slapping the back of his head.

"Sorry," he whined. "It slipped my mind, okay?" He quickly grabbed Quintin's backpack, and motioned for the dripping boy to follow him. "I'll get this sorted; you take Sam and Britt to class, okay? Rach," he waited for her to acknowledge him before continuing. "You'll have your buddy back by second period. Promise."

Rachel could only nod.

Most eventful first hour of the new school-year ever. Ever!


	7. Unexpected Expectancies

Chapter 7: Unexpected Expectancies

The sight of the shirtless blonde following Puck into the boys' locker room apparently caused some kind of riot. Girls of all grades were chattering about it in the hallways between classes, sharing their blurry photos and videos with anyone who asked. Most of the whispers centered around the obvious six-pack abs on display, and all of the naughty things they wanted to do to that body. Hearing this only made the blush on Quintin's face more pronounced, while Puck strutted by his side, leering at the girls on their way.

"This is so awesome, bro. Think of all the chicks you'll be scoring with!" Quintin only grimaced in reply. He absolutely hated when people looked at his body. Puck noticed.

"What? Don't tell me you're not interested?" His smirk went from lecherous to sly. "Oh, got it," he pointed at the blonde's frowning face. "You play for the other team. That's cool; the Puckasaurus doesn't mind picking up the balance." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, before stopping in front of an open classroom door. "See ya later man." And he was gone before Quintin could say a word.

R#GLEE#Q

Tina Cohen-Chang prided herself on not doing things she knew she would regret. It's why she discouraged Mike from trying to talk to Artie after they came back from Asian Camp as a couple. They simply weren't ready yet. Knowing this, and living by it almost religiously her whole life, she could only question her sanity when she agreed to try out for the Cheerios with Brittany. She blamed the blonde's devastating pout and pretty blue eyes, and the hopeful look on her boyfriend's face when Santana mentioned it. Damn him for being a football player! And her latent jealousy over the latina being the one who swiped his v-card didn't help either.

After leaving Mike, Sam and Quintin at the school's entrance to follow the giggling forms of Santana and Brittany, she once again tried to appeal to her common sense, to no avail. Soon she too was running around on the field like a maniac, unlike her new friend who was practically skipping through Coach Sylvester's seemingly impossible routines. The Asian goth accepted her (expected) insult-laden rejection, shouted through a bullhorn no less than two feet away, with as much grace as she could muster. While her jealousy of Santana seemed to have abated after witnessing first-hand what it took to be that good, she had also gained a new respect for the girl. Yes she'd previously labelled her both completely crazy and a total bitch, the absolute embodiment of Satan himself -even after that whole 'being-pushed-out-the-lesbian-closet' thing with Finn- but this showed her how much more there was to Ms Lopez. Like when Santana asked her to show Britt to her first class after checking an alert on her cellphone. She had checked hers too, out of habit, and her eyes had widened in shock.

"Britts doesn't need to see her brother like that right now, okay?" the latina had said, raising her eyebrow menacingly. "Coach is gonna make all the new girls struts their stuff through the halls, and I don't need her freaking out. We're supposed to be ruthless bitches."

Tina didn't even try to argue. Sam had eventually joined her and Brittany at the edge of the crowd surrounding the slushied boy, offering his arm and a terrible British accent to distract the ditzy blonde from the spectacle. He managed it all the way to their first class, which they actually shared much to Brittany's delight. The rest of the day was spent in much the same way whenever the three sophomores were together, with Tina laughing at Sam's bad movie impressions and joking with Brittany. They were having so much fun that the dancer declared Tina her new best friend at one point, hugging her tight. And who cared if Brittany sometimes refered to her as Mike (believing they were the male and female versions of the same person) anyway?

R#GLEE#Q

Rachel, for some reason unclear to Quintin, had decided to avoid her charge for the rest of the day. The blonde had timidly entered his second-period class, his natural shyness exacerbated by the embarrassing encounter with Puck. He was forced to introduce himself to the room of juniors, most of whom had already seen more of his body than he was comfortable with. This pattern continued on, his only respite being when he spotted either Mike Chang or Puck in the back rows of one of his classes. He actually shared a lot of his classes with the Asian boy, and surprisingly with Rachel. Unfortunately she was still stubbornly avoiding him.

Lunch meant meeting up with Sam and Britt, and brushing off his sister's comments about the different t-shirt he was wearing. He offered Santana a smile when he realized she had protected the innocent blonde from witnessing his humiliation, and had shared a knowing wink with his brother.

It was Mercedes, sitting next to Sam and sharing his lunch, who brought up the one topic Quintin didn't want to talk about.

"So, what's up with you and our resident diva?"

"Yeah," Tina added, "that Spin-the-bottle kiss between you two was super hot!" She continued uncertainly, "and then Rachel bolted, and things were weird. Huh." The Asian goth pinned the squirming blonde with a narrowed gaze. "What IS going on?"

Puck chose that moment to interrupt his innuendo-filled conversation with Santana and Brittany to amswer Tina's question. "Yo Vampira, quit hasslin' my bro. He's not into the ladies."

Quintin groaned as everyone else at their table seemed to freeze. Santana quirked her eyebrow at Brittany, who shrugged in confusion.

"Wait." Kurt was staring at the boy intently, taking in his pained appearance with an apprehensive sweep. "Is that true? And also, Puck? Did you learn nothing after the whole Lezpez debacle? You don't just out people. It's rude."

Puck ducked his head in shame, before offering the blonde an apologetic smile. "Sorry. But hey, at least you know we don't care, right? Anyway, check it out," he continued, pulling scraps of paper from his shirt pocket, "six numbers already! And it's only lunch! I told them you weren't sure who to go for, and they fell for it."

Santana narrowed her eyes at Puck's enthusiasm. "What are those, exactly?" She smirked when he cowered at her tone. Yep, still got it.

"Uh, just some phone numbers." Typically, Puck's moments of shame didn't last too long. He was way too excited about his plan actually working. "I told them Q asked me to check which girl was better, like I'm his manager or something, right, so I've got dates lined up for tonight and tomorrow."

"You mean you're his secretary," the latina snorted in amusement. "Do you have a typewriter too?"

"More like his pimp," Sam mumbled, shaking his head. "I told you to cut your hair, dude. Now everyone thinks you're a big ole homo." He looked up from his meal to find the rest of the gleeks glaring at him. "N-not that there's anything- " he backtracked quickly, eyes wide.

"Oh shut up," Kurt snapped in irritation. "What does his haircut have to do with his sexuality anyway? Just because that style highlights his stunning cheekbones doesn't mean make Quintin anything but a very effeminate-looking man, with a delightful affinity for pastels."

Quinn had been listening in complete and mortified silence while the weirdoes he chose to have luch with debated the merits of his non-existant homosexuality, and was frankly astounded that they could go on with this topic without his contribution for so long, when a soft voice interrupted the madness.

"Hey guys," Rachel greeted her fellow gleeks. Usually she enjoyed her lunch break in either the auditorium or the choir room, but seeing as this was the first day of school, and she had actually managed to become friendlier with most of them over the summer, she wanted to check in. It would also be the perfect time to tell them when the first glee-club meeting would be.

When no one answered her, she turned to the only one not engrossed in whatever discussion was going on. "Um, hey Quintin. What's everybody talking about? Throwing around ideas for our journey to Nationals? A great setlist is half the battle won, really."

Quintin was spared an answer.

His t-shirt wasn't spared at all.


	8. How To Kick Ass In Lima

Chapter 8: How To Kick Ass In Lima

"Jacob Ben Israel here, bringing you an exclusive, no-holds-barred, in-depth interview with McKinley's latest, and most elusive celebrity: Quintin 'QFab' Fabray. Now, QFab, mind if I call you QFab? You first began strutting your stuff down these hallowed halls as a result of a slushy to the face. Why continue? Nobody's slushying you anymore."

Earlier:

_This was all Puck's fault. And Sam's. But mostly Puck's._ Quintin believed that with all his heart.

The slushy in the cafeteria had been followed by another after his next class. By then he didn't have any more shirts to replace his stained ones with, and he had to borrow a t-shirt from Sam. Which was subsequently covered in cherry-red ice.

In frustration he'd ripped Sam's ruined shirt off, and went to his last class bare-chested. The girls had squealed and simpered in appreciation, while the boys had snickered and mocked his humiliation. On the upside though, Brittany and Sam had whipped their shirts off too when they'd spotted him. Fabray Solidarity, ya had to love it.

The next day, his hourly slushies had continued. He'd actually lasted until his lunch period, but had then been shirtless for the rest of his classes. The rest of the week he didn't bother to put on a shirt at all. By now Puck had a legion of girls following him, offering him all kinds of favours for a shot at Quintin. It was also Puck who'd come up with the ridiculous nickname of QFab.

His audition for glee-club had been interrupted by Finn complaining that his half-naked state was a stunt to gain attention, and Quintin had been so angry he'd refused to join the New Directions at all. He'd also quit the football team. Instead he'd retreated, joining the more obscure photography club, and had opted to lend his talents to the swimteam. He'd convinced Sam and Brittany to stick around in the glee-club for Mercedes and Santana though. Fabray Solidarity did have its limits.

One good thing that came from the chaos of his first few days at McKinley however, was his budding friendship with Rahel. After hearing that his sexuality was the topic at the gleeks' lunch table, the petite singer had offered for Quintin to meet with her fathers.

"It's perfect, Q," Santana had snarked. "I mean, they're like Lima's own homo-experts." Needless to say, Rachel had not been amused.

Her earnest offer had piqued Kurt's interest too though. "Wait, why didn't you ever tell me to talk to your dads?" he'd asked, sounding a little miffed. "Really, I'm the gayest gay that ever gayed up this school." His eyebrow had been raised, waiting for her explanation.

"Now that you mention it," Santana had murmured, also turning to arch a questioning eyebrow at Rachel. "I wasn't offered any face-time with Their Royal Gaynesses either. Why you discriminatin' Hobbit?"

The brunette had only huffed at them, rolling her eyes. "Because, Kurt, you've never struggled with accepting your sexuality; not really. What you had trouble with was other people accepting you in spite of that preference." The blue-eyed counter-tenor had nodded thoughtfully.

"That answers Lady Hummel's query. What about me?" Santana had asked.

"You're one of the strongest, bravest people I've ever met, Santana." Rachel had sounded so matter-of-fact about it, like it was common knowledge. "You fought against your preference only until you realized everyone was still afraid to cross you."

"Hmm, that's true," the latina had answered. "I'm a total badass like that."

"Yeah you are," Artie had retorted, and that had been the end of that discussion. Rachel had invited Quinn to dinner with her and her fathers whenever he was comfortable, and the conversation had returned to debating a setlist for their upcoming Sectionals performance.

QFab had made its first appearance in current school-related gossip when Mr Schue had the glee-club showcase their flashmob skills in the McKinley courtyard. The New Directions were supposed to prove their relevance with a performance of Empire State Of Mind. The student body paid the singing and dancing no mind, of course. They did gain the attention of transfer student Sunshine Corazon, unfortunately.

"So, what's the big deal if she saw you guys?" Quintin had been watching the impromptu show while a mob of girls watched him. Rachel frowned at them, having overheard some of the more specific daydreams, before focusing her intense gaze on the shirtless blonde.

"She's the new soloist for Vocal Adrenaline, and my arch-rival."

"She told everyone Rachel sent her to a crackhouse," Tina had commented when Quintin raised an eyebrow in confusion. The goth had elaborated further when Rachel scoffed. "She challenged Rach to a duel in the girls bathroom her first day here. They did a sing-off of Telephone." Tina shrugged at the absurdity (because whatever, these things really happened in their world) before continuing her tale. "Our little diva killed it though. She smiled at the aforementioned diva affectionately. Crushed the poor girl's spirit so bad, she immediately put in a transfer to Carmel High."

"No doubt they will be our biggest competition at Regionals," Rachel joined the conversation at last. "But I refuse to allow that poor excuse for a show-choir be the reason we don't win at Nationals."

Quintin could only gape in amazement. Tina giggled at the bewildered boy, well used to the Berry Ego.

"Win?" He coughed awkwardly. "You're talking about this like its inevitable that you guys will win, Rae. Isn't that a little premature when you haven't even won at Sectionals yet?" The brunette had simply waved Quinn's concerns away.

"Of course we will win at sectionals, Quintin," she said. "The only real threat is VA. Dalton Academy's Warblers are your classic all-boys acapella group, and the Hipsters are old people. We'll dazzle the judges with our strong, young voices accompanied perfectly by exquisite and co-ed dancing."

"I see." The blonde was impressed. Rachel was sure of their victory not because she arrogantly thought New Directions were the best (which she did, because to her mind they absolutely were), but because she'd done her homework on their competition, and planned a strategy to foil them accordingly.

"From what you've just mentioned may I assume you have a plan for beating VA at Regionals?" It was weird, especially in light of his decision to not join ND, but Quintin found himself really caring about their campaign. He took in the hint of mischief in Rachel's brown eyes, narrowing his own in response.

"Sorry," she smiled in mock apology, "unfortunately I am not at liberty to discuss that with you." She winked at him before heading in the direction of the rest of her team. Quintin stared at her retreating form, temporarily dumbstruck, before regaining his composure.

"Oh come on!" he whined, causing her to turn around at laugh at his antics. "Just gimme one hint! Please, just one?"

She tapped her chin playfully, adding a rueful shake of her head for good measure. "Nope, no can do, Mr Fabray. That's classified information, and I'm afraid your security clearance is low." She tsked, looking grave. "Very low."

Quintin couldn't stop an answering smile from spreading on his lips. He was delighted that Rachel was goofing around with him like this. Usually he only had Sam, Britt and sometimes Santana to rely on.

"Ouch," the blonde groused, clutching at his chest. "That really hurt me, Rae."

She shrugged nonchalantly, eyes sparkling. "You know what they say: You hurt the ones you love." Quintin watched in amusement as Rachel's casual comment finally registered and her eyes widened in shock. "I didn't- I mean..." She trailed off, unable to explain. He decided to let her off the hook though.

"Well, who can blame ya?" He offered her a wink, inviting her to share in the joke. Then he very deliberately dragged his hands down his (still) bare torso, "There's just too much awesomeness to resist!" Her raucous laughter was contagious, and he couldn't help but join in. QFab indeed.

Now:

"I'm not in the mood Jacob," Quintin said, scowling into the camera.

Somehow the blogger had managed to corner him in the empty swimteam locker room. He would normally just answer his stupid questions as fast and stoic as possible, but then again he was normally wearing more than just a towel around his waist.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to get dressed."

"Oh, don't mind us," the afro-ed boy drawled, "pretend we're not even here." The camera operator, a lanky Sophomore named Judd, let out a choked sound in protest, but didn't lower his cargo.

Quintin flushed in embarrassment before taking a calming breath. He turned to face both boys, pinning Jacob with a fierce glare. "Excuse me?" he growled.

The reporter continued blithely, unconcerned with his subject's obvious ire. "This would be a major scoop for the website, you know. The numbers would go through the roof;" Jewfrow was practically salivating. "All of your fabulousness exposed to-"

He never got to finish his sentence.

The clip, predictably titled The Epic QFist was indeed a major boon for the website.


	9. I dream of Britney, bitch(1)

Chapter 9: I dream of Britney, bitch (1)

The QFist, unfortunately also gained the attention of Principal Figgins, and Quintin was suspended for three days, when further investigation revealed he'd broken Jacob Ben Israel's nose with his little stunt. Needless to say, Judy had not been amused, and Quintin found himself grounded on top of being suspended. He had to give up his cellphone and his laptop, as well as his car keys. The message was abundantly clear: violence would not be tolerated in the new and improved Fabray household.

In contrast, McKinley was abuzz with the revelation of the normally mild-mannered blonde's heretofore unknown punch-throwing tendencies. Most of the student body had just assumed, especially in light of Karofsky and Azimio's continuing and unchallenged near-hourly slushies on QFab, that he didn't have a temper. But really, it kinda made sense that Jewfro ended up being the straw that broke Quintin's back.

Even Rachel, who was not a proponent of violence -ever- had to admit that the clip of Quintin punching that detestably vile creature was, quite simply, incredible. She even had it saved to both her cellphone and her computer at home, just like every other person at school (she's sure) plus, here she was fawning over it right alongside Mercedes and Kurt! What on Earth had this one boy done to her? To all of them, really.

Quinn's absence from school only made the furore worse, it seemed. Lauren Zizes was walking around demanding he join the wrestling team. Puck kept badgering Sam to pass along his proposal for Quintin to be his partner in a 'lucrative business venture', complete with waggling eyebrows. Somehow the guys on the basketball team heard Quinn was actually a basketball player, and wanted him to join their ranks. It was utter chaos.

Finn meanwhile had his own reputation to work on. After the events of Mike's party, the tall teen had been trying to win his friends back, but no one was really interested in giving him another chance. Well, except Artie. The handi-capable boy had confided in his former glee club co-captain that he felt unappreciated in Lima, and especially around its female population. His solution was to join the football team, and hopefully build some confidence. And abs.

"Artie, dude, I'd like to help, but come on, man," Finn gestured pointedly at the chair, "you're in a wheelchair!" They were in the empty choir room, enjoying a rare free period. Actually Finn was supposed to be in Study Hall, but everyone knows that's just another name for 'free period'. Besides, it wasn't like anyone's gonna bust him about it; he was the school's quarterback.

"There isn't a place for a kid who can't walk on our team," he said, offering a sympathetic smile to the frowning sophomore.

"Kurt got in," Artie countered. "Nobody wanted him there, nobody thought he'd even be good, but he was. So, why can't I?" he continued his argument. "Look, I need to do this, Finn. I don't want my life to be spent stuck in one place, just because I'm stuck in this chair."

Finn tried; he really did. "Okay, fine. But," he held up one finger, "we're gonna need something, a trick or whatever to make it like the team needs you to win..." He trailed off, wearing his signature confused-face.

"You mean a gimmick?" Artie clarified, also looking uncertain. He continued when Finn nodded. "Okay. Lemme think."

Their theory (the terms '_centrifugal force' _and '_battering ram' _were thrown around) got them chased out of the boys' locker rooms by an enraged Coach Beiste, and Finn summarily kicked off the team. Naturally, Artie felt bad about his part in these tragic events, and being a good friend vowed to help in any way he could. Finn came to the brilliant conclusion that he had to prove his worth to the team; that he still deserved to be Captain of the McKinley Titans. It turned out to be easier said than done, though.

Without having to constantly repeat herself to Finn 'I don't understand' Hudson, Beiste realized that Sam was the best thing that could have happened to her new football team. He was a superior athlete, and the perfect choice for quarterback. The coach also found his good looks and boyish charm hid a strategic mind. He made suggestions for plays that maximized the team's assets and protected their weak spots. Now that they didn't have to waste time slushying Quintin Fabray between classes, even Azimio and Karofsky paid attention when he spoke. Yes, Sam was his brother, but he also had a sister on the Cheerios, and she was super hot; the boy would've been a shoe-in for Prom King if he'd quit glee.

Speaking of, the New Directions were very excited when Mr Schuester announced they would be performing at the Homecoming pep assembly on Friday. For some reason, Kurt suggested doing a Britney Spears number. Sam's groan at hearing this surprised everyone.

"What?" Kurt scoffed. He was still a little mad at Sam after his borderline homophobic comments earlier. "Don't tell me you have a problem with Britney Spears now?"

Will tried to intervene. "I don't think a Britney song would be appropriate, guys. We don't want a repeat of last time, and she's a little too risque for our glee-club," he said, grimacing at the memory of his kids doing 'Push It' for their first public performance. "We don't want the Approved Songs list making a comeback, right?" He was ignored, as usual.

"I don't have a problem with Britney Spears," Sam said defensively. _When was Kurt gonna get over himself already? _"I actually really dig Britney. She's great to look at, and awesome to dance to..." he trailed off awkwardly once he realized how icky that sounded. He nervously cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm not the problem," he said, pointing at the two cheerleaders sitting on the highest riser. "She is."

The rest of the gleeks all turned to see what Sam was talking about, only to be confronted with a crying Brittany.

**Wait. What?**

"Um, Brittany, are you okay?" Mr Schuester asked, moving closer to the part of the risers where the Cheerios were sitting. Santana glared at him for asking such a stupid question.

"Obviously not," she retorted with a frown in his direction, "she's crying." She wrapped her arms more securely around the sniffling girl.

"Is there something wrong? Are you- Is she hurt?" Mr Schue was clearly at a loss. As far as he was aware, Santana was especially close to the crying blonde, and if anything serious was amiss, she'd be the first to know.

"I had hoped to finally be safe from the torture of that name," Brittany sniffled. Everyone immediately perked up, still getting used to the quirks of the Cheerio's personality. Her insights have all been entertaining so far, if nothing else. This would be no exception, they thought.

"Here we go," Sam muttered, shaking his head. He and Quintin have of course heard their sister's _torture _speech many times, and he discreetly pulled out his cellphone, wanting to text his brother for some back-up. _These kids had no idea what they've unknowingly unleashed_. Only to frown in realization that he wasn't at school. "Stupid suspension," he whispered.

When they were younger, Russell Fabray had insisted that each cultivated their own image and personality, which had sucked at the time. Mostly because Judy Fabray was perfectly content to dress up her triplets as mirror images of each other. He could remember being mistaken for a girl with Quintin, or Brittany being mistaken for a boy when she refused to wear a dress. It had happened way too often for his liking, and he'd been the first to follow their dad's new rules. He'd chosen a new, all boys school to attend, and started playing football. Quintin had been forced to attend some weird school for geniuses, and they didn't play any sports. Instead, he joined their chess club. And Brittany had gone to public school, all alone. It had been a disaster.

Finally Judy had stepped in and offered a compromise: music lessons. So every Wednesday after school, Sam learned to play the guitar, Quinn learned the piano, and Brittany the bass. It went swimmingly until puberty struck, and cheerleading and Brittany were introduced to each other. Quintin had a growth spurt and came home from super-brain camp playing basketball one summer. Sam had his first girlfriend, who gave him his first comic book.

They were as individual as they were gonna get, and the Wednesday music lessons were slowly being replaced by other interests. Until their parents officially separated the first time, and everyone went a little crazy. Sam became a conceited jock, only caring about maintaining his abs and having the most popular girls on his arm. Quintin completely shut down and isolated himself from his family, spending all his free time in the library's biographies section. And Brittany started talking to her cat, Lord Tubbington, instead of anyone else. And constantly listening to britney Spears.

Sam was brought out of his memories by his sister's distinctive voice, as sweet as ever, even distorted by tears.

"Britney Spears has been following me around almost since birth, and I really want the torture to stop. My mom said Lima is a new beginning for all of us, and I believe her. So I ask that the glee club respect my position, and not allow that so-called Pop Princess to continue her reign of terror. And don't make my mom a liar, because lies hurt, like, alot." She looked earnestly at her team-mates, carefully avoiding Sam's eyes. This was important, and he would just ruin her concentration. Besides, Q wasn't here to make everything okay for his siblings, so it was up to her.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, before Mercedes leaned closer to Sam, incredulous. "Do you what she's talking about?" she whispered, loud enough for the entire club to hear. "Because I think I speak for everyone here when I say, we don't." Sam only shook his head again, really wishing Quinn was there right now.

"Trust me, you're the lucky ones," he answered. "I might be her brother, but sometimes I still don't get her."

Brittany pouted at his words, true though they were, until Santana whispered something in her ear. The girl nodded at whatever was said, before turning to address the room again. "Her name's Britney, my name's Brittany," she began, holding up a finger with each new comparison. "Her initials are BS, my initials are BS." She frowned at Sam's snicker, but continued. "She's a blonde like me, and she dances like me, but I'm way better 'cause I've never had kids, or married my childhood friend in Vegas," she rushed out the last bit, not wanting to think about _that_ any more than she had to. "It's like she stole my identity," she concluded. "I thought you guys would know how that feels," Brittany then said, motioning towards a bewildered Tina and Mike, her blue eyes looking hurt and betrayed by their confusion; "since all the Asians are basically your clones. It **sucks**."

With this at least Sam agreed. He pretended not to see Mercedes' sceptical glance when he nodded along with Brittany's words. What? It really **did** suck.

Kurt cleared his throat, blinking exaggeratedly, feeling as if he'd just woken up from a dream. _Nope, reality_. He raised a dismissive eyebrow in Brittany's direction, ignoring her insanity with a mntal shrug. "Be that as it may," he began, "we should still perform a Britney Spears number for the assembly, Mr Schue. It is what our adoring public asked for, after all."

Puck snorted. "What adoring public? The only people interested in you at this school is Karofsky, and he only cares about which locker to stuff your ass in. And on which days to add a slushie to the mix."

"Be that as it may," Mr Schue once again tried to intervene, hoping to regain control of his club, "I'm still saying no to Britney."

"With all due respect Mr Schuester," Rachel finally found her voice, "this shouldn't be your decision alone. We're all in glee, together, and we should decide something as important as a setlist together as well. I propose we put it to a vote."

"Actually, _Noah_," Kurt harrumphed, almost sneering the mohawked jock's name, "this was a request on our Facebook-page. One that thankfully didn't come from Tina's parents for once."

"Sorry," Tina grimaced when the flamboyant diva looked pointedly at her. "I keep telling them to stop leaving comments. They just get excited about interacting with people that aren't, you know, virtual simulations." She leaned closer to Mike while she was speaking. "I'll block their access; promise," she finished solemnly. Her boyfriend squeezed her shoulder, offering comfort. Mr and Mrs Cohen-Chang were **really **enthusiastic sometimes.

"See that you do," Kurt said, nodding decisively. "Now," he turned to eye Rachel speculatively, "for the sake of artistic integrity, I'd suggest either 'Hit me baby one more time' or 'Oops I did it again', but that would mean putting Rachel in the spotlight, which I don't think is a good idea." He ignored Rachel's shocked gasp, as well as Mercedes' chiding "Kurt!" choosing instead to focus back on Mr Schue. "I feel like we should be concentrating on early-Britney for this assembly, anyway," he concluded. "What do you think, Mr Schue?"

"I think I already told you we're not doing a Britney Spears song, Kurt. And we will not be voting about it either," he added, seeing Rachel ready to object once again. "She is not the kind of artist I want to be promoting as a role model for you guys, or anyone," he tried to explain. "So, that's the end of it. No Britney." He grabbed his trusty marker, writing 'NO BRITNEY' on the board. "Now, who has another idea?"

From the looks of his kids, Mr Schuester should have been preparing for a mutiny. As it was, he remained as oblivious as ever.

Kurt huffed. **Seriously? **"Have this past year taught you nothing?" he asked, incredulous.

"Enough, Kurt," Mr Schue barked. "I've already made my decision."

"Well, it's the _wrong_ decision," Kurt retorted. The rest of the gleeks were riveted. It wasn't often the effeminate diva argued against their director. "Wake up, Mr Schue," he continued. "This club isn't about you and your misspent youth. You didn't make it out of Lima; get over it."

"I said that's enough, Kurt." Mr Schuester looked as angry as they'd ever seen him. And also slightly hurt. "I'm sending you to Figgins' office."

Kurt stared at his teacher in disbelief, before he grabbed his bag and made his way down the risers, carefully avoiding eye contact with his teammates. The remaining members held their collective breaths/ found themselves holding/ until Rachel sighed. It was like she had released them from some kind of spell.

"Mr Schue, if I may?" she asked from her customary place in front of the still seated New Directions. "The provocative nature of Britney Spears' music aside, I feel that we should be focusing on our setlist for Sectionals anyway. Every performance until then should be building towards winning that trophy." Rachel then turned to face their choir master. "We should **all** be keeping that goal in mind," she said pointedly. "Losing what few members we have would not be prudent. I for one refuse to miss out on singing on the Nationals stage, in New York."

**New York. **These were the magic words needed to jolt them back into action. Immediately ideas (thankfully free of the influence of Ms Spears) were being tossed around, the earlier tension all forgotten. As an apology to Brittany, and in deference to the absent Kurt, they settled on performing Ke$ha's **Tik Tok**. Technically Mr Schuester's original argument against Britney Spears seemed to rule Ke$ha out as well, but he silently agreed to let it go. After all, Rachel was right. the New Directions could not afford to lose any more of their members.


	10. I dream of Britney, bitch(2)

Chapter 10: It's Britney, bitch (2)

"Those kids totally hoodwinked you," Shannon Beiste chuckled, shaking her head fondly at Will. The new friends were commiserating over lunch in the teachers lounge.

In the beginning, it had been a lonely lunch-break for Will Schuester. With the lack of Emma's constant presence, he had run out of ways to avoid sitting alone at what used to be 'their' table. Luckily, that all changed the day Beiste joined him, offering the glee director a friendly smile and a willing ear.

As had become the norm, the new football coach had systematically worked her way through a plate of chicken, while making conversation. She was currently relating the spectacle of Artie and Finn attempting to re-join the team, for the umpteenth time since their dismissal. She had, for the most part, been listening to Will's story with a frown creasing her forehead, only nodding now and then for him to continue. She was mopping up what little remained of her meal with a breadroll when he finished.

Will only smiled, oddly charmed at her behaviour. The Spanish teacher found himself genuinely liking the unorthodox woman, despite Sue's earlier complaints. Silently, he stared at her empty plate, taking in her assertion before scoffing in dismissal. Those kids were dramatic, sure, but they weren't manipulative. He finished chewing his apple, and swallowed hastily to deny her claim. "What? No, they just..." he shook his head, unable to complete his thought.

"Basically threatened to all quit if you didn't give in to their demands," she interrupted with a matter-of-fact tone, looking him dead in the eye. Her face softened. "Look, it's what kids do, right?" she smiled. "See how far they can push authority, and all that."

The more he thought about it, the deeper the truth of her words sunk in. "And I fell for it," he mumbled, embarrassed.

The big woman clapped a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. Will flinched, casually checking to see if her hand left a greasy stain on his vest. "So, what do I do about it?" he asked, noting with relief that there was no trace of a stain. "I can't tell them to choose another song; not _again_. I'd have a riot on my hands," he finished morosely.

Shannon pursed her lips in concentration, nodding thoughtfully, before shrugging at him. "Heck if I know." She opened a can of soda and took a sip, foregoing a straw as usual. "They're _your_ kids, Will. What do **you** think you have to do?"

Before he could answer, they were joined by a visibly irritated Sue Sylvester. She strode into the lounge and grabbed Coach Beiste's soda right as she was taking another sip. "Hey!" the Southerner protested. "Get yer own!"

"Please," Coach Sylvester waved her off, "after taking half my budget, this is the least of what you owe me. And don't think for one second that I will not collect. Every. Last. Cent."

"It wasn't half..." Beiste tried to defend.

Sue ignored her, scowling in disgust at the beverage she had appropriated. "What is this swill?" she muttered. Not waiting for an answer, she finished the rest of the soda in one long pull. Slamming the empty can down hard, she drawled, "Now, that was satisfying."

Abruptly she pointed a finger at Will. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Schuester?" She smirked inwardly as he seemed to sink further into his chair.

He cleared his suddenly dried throat, hoping he didn't stutter. "Having lunch?" came the timid reply.

"Exactly," the cheerleading coach sneered. "You're in here, having lunch with Moby Dick's second cousin, allowing those mouthbreathers you call a glee-club to corrupt my ears with Ke$ha, of all things." She took a deep breath, glaring fiercely at the flabbergasted man. "How dare you." She bent down to stare deeply into his (slightly terrified) eyes. "This is your worst infraction yet. That noise is an **abomination**, William, and while I understand that you have the urge to commune with your _peers_, this school is not the place for it. You will fix that oversight, right now." She straightened, tugging her trade-mark tracksuit into place.

He finally found his voice. "The kids have chosen to perform 'Tik Tok' for the assembly, Sue. I've already banned anything by Britney Spears; I can't ban anything else." Will shrunk back even further than before when the tall blonde leaned into his space again, apparently getting ready for an interrogation.

"Which song?" she asked lowly.

"What?" he replied. It was always so difficult to keep up with the other woman, especially in such close quarters. "Um, I just told you-"

"Which Britney song, for the love of God!' she interrupted, exasperated. Really, why was it so hard for people to understand her? The question was perfectly clear.

"Oh," Will sagged in relief. "We didn't get that far, actually. Brittany was rather upset by the initial choice of artist, and-"

"Who?"

"Uh, Brittany Fabray?" Schuester trailed off uncertainly. "Apparently she feels victimized by..." But Sue was already gone. He turned a bewildered expression on Shannon, who had remained curiously silent throughout his ordeal. "What just happened?"

"Damned if I know," she said softly, shaking her head. "That is one crazy lady." She tilted her head at Will. "You okay there, punkin? Yer lookin' a bit pale."

Will would have looked even paler if he had any idea exactly what he had just, unwittingly, unleashed on his beloved kids.

Sue would have been disgusted at the fact that she knew these kids so well, if **disgust** was an emotion she would ever assosiate with herself. Instead, she only sneered as she took in the singing, dancing, annoying **mess** that was Schuester's beloved glee-club. They were in the auditorium, _of course_, and as per usual the biggest annoyance of them all, Rachel Berry, was front and center. It was the newly-reinstated Head Cheerio that noticed her first, however. Sue hid a proud smile at that. She had taught her team well.

"Coach?" Santana asked warily. "Do you need me to do something for you?" She self-consciously folded her arms over her chest as a defence. There was just something about not knowing Sylvester was watching her sing and dance that unnerved her.

"Yes," came the answer, the voice causing Santana to stand up straighter, "you can abandon this sad excuse for a team, once and for all."

From the corner of her eye the tall blonde could see Berry gearing up for a retort, and she chuckled evilly. "Stand down, future Broadway reject. Actually, I'm here on business. **Glee** business." She pinned them all with her fiery glare, before snapping onto Brittany, her prized tumbler. "B, c'mere," she beckoned the girl over. "Now, what's this I hear about you and Britney Spears?"

Sam cast a suspicious look in the cheerleading coach's direction, before making his way over to Santana. "Should we be concerned about that?" he asked, nodding at the two whispering blondes. Santana shrugged in response. Coach Sylvester might be crazier than anyone else in the world, but she also had a weird soft-spot for Britts. Didn't mean she wouldn't be watching **that** interaction like a hawk, though

Sam was watching silently too, before gasping in surprise when he saw Sylvester take hold of Brittany's hands. He had to quickly grab Santana when the latina made to lunge their way, though. "Hey, whoa!" he yelled.

"Let me go, Sam," she snarled, struggling in his grip. "**I swear to God**," she threatened in Spanish, pushing and pulling at the blonde's arms. "I will crush your junk if you don't-"

"No, Santana, just look," he interrupted, shaking her a little. For such a slight girl, his sister's girlfriend was surprisingly hard to contain. "She's smiling," he pointed out. "Brittany is smiling!"

The Latina's glare snapped up in their direction at his words, confirming that Brittany was, indeed, smiling. "What the hell?"

"My thoughts exactly," Mercedes interrupted them. She had seen Sam going over to talk to Santana, and had been watching their interaction cautiously, prefering to ignore the little voice in her head that was trying to label her mounting dread as _jealousy_. "What's goin' on over here?" she asked, hoping she came off as casual. "And where's Britt?" She flicked her gaze to Sam's arms still around Santana, then back up at the silent duo.

Santana was the first to respond. She slipped out of the boy's loose embrace, mumbling curses in Spanish under her breath. She was supposed to be the Head Bitch, for crying out loud!

"Sorry," Sam grimaced, feeling his cheeks flare. He quickly took a step away from the scowling Latina, keeping his hands behind his back. "Please don't kill me. I was just-"

"Whatever," Santana dismissed him with a wave. "It's the closest you'll ever get to a smokin' hot babe anyway. Consider it your birthday and Christmas presents from me, for like, the rest of your life." She glared at Mercedes. "What?"

The black girl just shrugged. "I didn't say anything." A beat. Then, "Y'all did look awfully cozy though," she smirked. "Not missing the hetero-life, are we S?" she teased.

The girl in question only huffed before making her way to her girlfriend. Brittany was bouncing on the balls of her feet, smiling as wide as Santana had ever seen her do. "Hey," she greeted her softly, absolutely charmed by the sight, "someone's happy."

"Hey back," Brittany said, reaching to pull the smaller girl into her arms. "I missed you," she whispered, smiling wickedly at the shiver her words, and the proximity of her mouth to Santana's ear elicited. She pulled back, taking in the light blush on her girlfriend's cheeks with sparkling blue eyes. "So guess what?"

Meanwhile, the rest of the gleeks were being corralled by a determined Sue Sylvester. She very unceremoniously prevented Artie and Finn from joining the group on stage though. "Nope, not on my watch," was the only explanation she offered. Her cold stare did not encourage further questions, and the two boys quickly moved to the seating area instead.

Sue then commandeered Mercedes ("Aretha, release that back into the ocean!") to find Kurt ("Porcelain"), before instructing Sam ("Trouty Mouth") to hand over his cellphone, and proceeded to demand Quintin's immediate presence. "Forget about the suspension," she nullified his objections. "Just get your ass over here right now. I'll handle everything else."

And that's exactly what she did. She is Sue Sylvester, after all. Did anyone really expect anything less?

Sue admitted, grudgingly, and only in the private pages of her journal, that helping those idiots in glee with their routine had felt, well, not _good_, but as close to good as helping anyone had ever felt. You know, for **Sue**. Getting to rub their performance in William's face was just the icing on the protein-shake.

Backstage at Friday's assembly, with Sue sylvester's idea of a pep-talk still ringing in her ears (like literally ringing, because the cheerleading coach had Becky Jackson ring two bells at them for three minutes straight, instead of **saying** anything to them), was strangely quiet. There was no Mr Schuester, looking ready to jump on-stage and just joining in with them at the drop of a hat. In fact, ever since Sue took over, they hadn't really seen much of their glee director at all.

I've never seen him so_ cowed_, Rachel reflected. Usually he was the first to oppose whatever crazy plan Coach Sylvester tried against the New Directions, and his meek attitude now was just _unsettling_. And really, what was Sue up to with this? She definitely didn't care one way or the other whether Brittany spent the rest of her life thinking Britney Spears was out to ruin her life. Ergo, crazy plan to sabotage Glee-club. But how? She turned to address Santana.

"Maybe we shouldn't-"

The Latina put a hand up to stall whatever she was about to say. "Save it, Berry. It's done. We're doin' this, come hell or high water." She sighed, recognizing the worried glint in her glee-captain's eyes. "Look," Santana began, "whatever Coach is planning, which we don't even know that she **is.**" She simply shrugged at Rachel's pointed look, because yeah, it was all kinds of fishy.

"Let's just do this song, okay?" she tried again. "We'll figure out the master-plan after."

And then it was time. They could hear Principal Figgins accented voice announcing the New Directions, and then the curtains swooshed open, and Brad gave the signal to begin.

The teens had ended up choosing to do a slightly acapella version of 'Toxic', with Brittany, Santana, Rachel and Quintin featured on the solo parts. Without Finn and Artie there, it enabled everyone to be partnered up in a boy/girl coupling: Kurt and Mercedes, Tina and Puck, Mike and Brittany, Sam and Santana, and Rachel and Quintin. They were dressed in white shirts and black pants, with fedoras that had a white band as well. The boys wore suspenders, while the girls wore ties, also black. It was stylish and elegant ... and sexy. This was made abundantly clear as soon as Brittany opened her mouth. (It might also have been the fact that she was bent over, with her ass facing the crowd when she opened her mouth, though.)

McKinley was in ecstasy.

Her protests died in her throat when they heard Sue Sylvester's sarcasm-laced voice, introducing the glee-club from in front of the heavy stage curtain...


End file.
